Making street look express how the community feels.
An illustration commission for the public space celebrating the cultural diversity and community spirit of Shawlands in Glasgow. Translating local heritage into a series of vibrant, high-impact street banners.
Collaborative process: Consultation with locals, businesses, and visitors to capture what the area means to them.
Refreshed design system: A consistent graphic language designed specifically for the Shawlands area.
Graphic concept: Exploring colours, local stories, and daily activities across different times of the day.
Shawlands, a diverse Glasgow community with people proud to belong.
The My Shawlands street banner project was shaped with an open collaboration that included a consultation with members of the public, local business, residents and visitors. It identified what people loved about the area what it means to them.
The findings of the research showed key activities and behaviours that guided the creative process as well as important features and characters of the area. I created a look that resonates the passion and love of local residents, business and visitors alike.
Conceptual building blocks
The concept: The hours of the day
The Shawlands area appeals to visitors and residents in different. There is always an activity to do in the area: From early morning walks, to daily errands with independent shops and market as well as vibrant pubs, cafes and night life.
The concept explore activities and behaviours that make Shawlands a special place to locals and visitors. Each illustration tells a different reflecting those behaviours at a specific time of the day, exploring the themes with vibrant colour palettes.
The graphic Universe of Shawlands: a modular system
I created a modular system of iconography based illustrations portraying what people love, what the business in the area have to offer and characteristics define the area and people can relate to.
Compositions
Dawn: Coffee & Wanders
This illustration explores one of the favourite activities to do in the Shawlands area: grabbing a coffee or a hot drink and go for a walk. Set in the early hours of the day, it portrays a hand with warm coffee while going for a stroll in the neighbourhood and the park, enjoying fresh air and, for those how enjoy it, birdwatching.
Morning: Shop & Explore
The second stage of the conceptual journey, this illustration is about local shopping, supporting the local business, exploring the neighbourhood, admiring the architecture of historical building and having happy encounters with locals and a friendly cat. This artwork pays tribute to Freddie: the famous local cat that warms the heart of people the area.
Afternoon: Park Mingles
This illustration celebrates the park life. It connects communities, green spaces and biodiversity around Shawlands. It depicts a perfect day in the area with a warm afternoon, enjoying friendly mingles, ice cream and natural living.
Sunset: Sharing Places
The forth illustration in the series depicts the post-park beer garden moment, enjoying a sunset drink with a diverse community in a pet-friendly Pub or cafe with great company.
Nightfall: Social Vibes
The last stage is the nightlife. This artwork portrays social life, food, music scene night culture and it is a celebration of the creativity and the vibrant bars, restaurants, night clubs and music venues in the area.
Do you want to see illustrations making an impact on your creative project?
This project showcases how illustration, street branding, and OOH roll-out can shape powerful creative projects for local organisations, like My Shawlands, in the UK.
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